Ethnic Riots and Russia
After recent riots in Russia, based on the premise of a man from the Caucasus region stabbing another Russian; it is difficult not to claim that there will be a significant impact in Russia. While this riot may have been relatively minor, it was fairly isolated and was quickly put down; it may represent feelings that have been repressed amidst the Russian population. This is not unlike ethnic/race based conflict that has been seen in other parts of the world. One example would be the Newark race riots of the 1960s which, although less minor, ultimately had a significant affect on domestic policy in the United States. Should more riots sprout up in the wake of this, we can certainly say that this issue has struck a chord in Russian society. Somehow the animosity between Russians and the various other migrants has to be put to rest. The only question is what type of role the government will take in ending this feud. As noted by Alexey Navalny. there is a laundry list of government institutions that could accept blame for this riot. So, if there is so much blame to go around, then is it possible to create effective, civil reform without uprooting the whole system? Based on the effectiveness of the United State's Civil Rights Act of 1964 there is certainly the possibility that legislation could help. The fact is though, that legislation, even with proper enforcement, will do little good unless the mindset of the people change. There is no doubt that the United States has become a more tolerant as a nation since 1964 which is why legislation was effective. In order for the tension to ebb, Russia must not only legislate against ethnic prejudices but also advocate a change in the mindset of the people. The Russian government could offer seats of power to select, elite migrants in order to improve trust between the natives and the migrants. Without a more tolerant and open-minded attitude, Russian officials will have no choice but to ban migrants. This scenario would be extremely disappointing and shed light on the current vulnerability of the human condition.
Exactly Tommy, the riots are relatively minor and those that speak against the migrants may be a relatively small number more so than all the Russians. Of course, many immigrant workers probably do good work and try to make it in the country. Of course there will always be those causing problems but the government will soon make a policy to try and keep more of this under control. Good thoughts.
ReplyDeleteI liked how you used the example of Newark and were able to relate it back to the current russia issue. It will be interesting to see how the situation plays out and if it will further worsen. Good point regarding a shift in attitude of the Russian citizens, as the problem will not be solved with out some sort of change.
ReplyDeleteNewark and other race riots are indeed a good example. The LA riots of the early 1990s also come to mind. However, there is an important difference here of course--the riots in America were from marginalized groups and an expression of frustration. These riots were against marginalized groups and part of a growing nationalist movement. I want to say that it is unthinkable that we would arrest migrants in the US in response to a riot by nationalists against those groups, but who knows for sure. There are important differences, no doubt, to keep in mind.
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